Bill Clinton on Hillary: 'She Is the Best Darn Change-Maker I Have Ever Known'
Former President Bill Clinton painted his wife, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, as the "best darn change-maker I have ever known" and the only "real" choice for president Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention.
In perhaps the longest speech yet of the convention being held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Clinton ignited passionate support for his wife among delegates when he recalled her experience as a public servant who spent much of her career working to help the disenfranchised and promoting social justice — a concept she was introduced to, he said, by her Methodist youth minister during the early stages of her career.
And all the while as she did much of this work she was also juggling motherhood and marriage.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
"I learned that Hillary got her introduction to social justice from her Methodist youth minister Don Jones. He took her downtown to Chicago to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speak. And he remained her friend for the rest of his life. This will be the only campaign of hers he ever missed," the former president said of his wife, who was officially elected as the Democratic Party's first woman presidential nominee Tuesday.
"She did all this while being a full-time worker, a mother and enjoying her life. Why? Well, she's insatiably curious, she's a natural leader, she is a good organizer and she is the best darn change-maker I have ever met in my entire life," said Clinton.
"So look, this is a really important point for you to take out of this convention. If you believe in making change from the bottom up, if you believe the measure of change is how many people's lives are better, you know it's hard and some people think it's boring. Speeches like this are fun, actually doing the work is hard," he continued.
"So people say, 'Well, we need change. She's been around a long time.' She sure has and she sure [has] been worth every single year she's put into making people's lives better," said Clinton to wild applause. "I can tell you this, if you were sitting where I'm sitting and you heard what I have heard at every dinner conversation, every lunch conversation, on every long walk, you would say this woman has never been satisfied with the status quo in anything. She always wants to move the ball forward, that is just who she is."
After highlighting his wife's record of unfailing public service, the former president then asked his audience to compare what his wife is bringing to the table with what is being offered by the Republican Party.
"Now, how does this square with the things that you heard at the Republican Convention? What's the difference between what I told you and what they said? How do you square it? You can't. One is real, the other is made up," he said to cheers.
"You just have to decide which is which my fellow Americans. The real one has done more positive change-making before she was 30 than many public officials do in a lifetime in office. The real one has friends from childhood through Arkansas where she has not lived in more than 20 years who've gone all across America at their own expense to fight for the person they know. The real one has earned the loyalty and the respect and the fervent support of people who have worked with her," said Clinton.
"In every stage of her life including leaders around the world who know her to be straightforward and completely trustworthy. The real one calls you when you're sick, when your kids are in trouble or when there's a death in the family. The real one repeatedly drew praise from prominent Republicans when she was a senator and secretary of state," he continued.
Following the vein of First Lady Michelle Obama's speech on Monday night, Clinton also cast Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as a "cartoon" without even naming him.
"So what's up with this? Well, if you win elections on the theory that government is always bad and will mess up a two-car parade, a real change-maker represents a real threat. So you're only option is to create a cartoon alternative. ... Cartoons are two dimensional, they are easy to absorb," he said.
Unlike cartoons, said the former president to roaring applause, "Life in the real world is complicated and real change is hard. And a lot of people even think it's boring. Good for you because earlier today, you nominated the real one."
Clinton argued that because of her wealth of experience, Hillary Clinton was "uniquely qualified" to make change for the people who need it most.
"I have lived a long, full, blessed life. It really took off when I met and fell in love with that girl in that spring in 1971. When I was president I worked hard to give you more peace and shared prosperity. To give you an America where no one is invisible or counted out. But for this time, Hillary is uniquely qualified to seize the opportunity and reduce the risk we face and she is still the best darn change-maker I have ever known," he reiterated.
"You could drop her into any trouble-spot. Pick one. Come back in a month and somehow, some way she would have made it better. That is just who she is. There are clear, achievable, affordable responses to our challenges. But we won't get to them if America makes the wrong choice in this election," he warned. "That's why you should elect her because she'll never quit when the going gets tough. She'll never quit on you…"
He then made direct appeals to several minority groups including Muslims.
"I say to you, if you love this country, you're working hard, you're paying taxes and you're obeying the law and you'd like to become a citizen, you should choose immigration reform over someone who wants to send you back," he said.
"If you're a Muslim and you love America and freedom and you hate terror, stay here and help us win and make a future together. If you're a young African-American disillusioned and afraid, we saw in Dallas how great our police officers can be, help us build a future where nobody is afraid to walk outside including the people that wear blue to protect our future," he added.
"Hillary will make us stronger together. You know it because she has spent a lot of time doing it. I hope you'll do it. I hope you'll elect her. Those of us who have more yesterdays than tomorrows tend to care more about our children and grandchildren. The reason you should elect her is that in the greatest country on Earth we have always been about tomorrow. Your children and grandchildren will bless you forever if you do.
"God bless you and thank you," he ended.
